Wichita eagle., 1887-08-25
CIVIL SERVICE REFORM.

raised before the opening of the last presi
dental campaign and was kept up unit
after the election and Inauguration of Mr.
u Cleveland was specious pleading. Som'
d there were who no doubt honestly believed
that the civil service had become corrupt t.
such an extent as to need the publication
which they vainly imagined could be ef-
Q fected only through change Of party con
troll; they we're aided to their conclusions
and encouraged In adheriDg to them by de
signing demsgogues whose only purpose
was to effect change at whatever cost. II
is only necessary In this connection to in
cidentally refer to the methods, in prom.
Uses and otherwise, employed by Mr.. Cleve.
land and the managers Of his campaign
The change of party control was effected
and the new administration announced its
purposes In this respect with quite -four
ish of trumpets. Passing over many
points and incidents that an anylitical dis
cussion Of the question would call for, we
come to the point of practical application
Of the theory.
When the Democrats succeeded to the
administration Of the government search
for the rascsls was at once instituted, but
the closest scrutiny of the methods and
books and cash account failed to discover
the wholesale crookedness and rottenness
that had been so persistently alleged against
previous Republican administrations. And
just here we will admit that the national
administration was as thoroughly Repub-
lican as to political opinion and
sentiment; that partisans, if you
please, filled the offices in all
the departments. Chagrinned at their
failure to make the disclosures promised
when they should be placed In position to
do so, and failing to find cause, from dis
honesty or incompetency, for the indis-
eliminate removal of Republicans from
O. flee, and the clamor for places by Demo
Gratis becoming SO loud and persistent that
the chiefs Of the administration could no
longer resist 1t, In the absence of valid res
sons for dismissing Republicans from the
service to make room for Democrats, they
fell upon the convenient pretext of often
sive partisanship, and then the work began
and how thoroughly 1t has been done the
country knows.
We said that at the beginning Of the new
regime the administration was thoroughly |
Republican. But how long a time was
Republican presidents and heads of depart |
ments in making it so? We answer, about
twenty five years. And how was 1t &C
complished; by peremptorily displacing
Democrats wherever they were found in
the service and installing Republicans in
their places simply as partners, without re
gard to qualifications Not at all. The
changes were made gradually; places made
vacant by removal for cause, resignation,
promotion or death being filled with per.
sons in sympathy with the government,
upon reasonable test of qualification Such
changes and appointments were made with
view to the efficiency of the service;
party fealty was secondary considerations
hence the length Of time required to give
the civil service the political complexion it
bore; but at the same time 1t will not be
denied that the service In its varied and va
nous departments was more efficiently
administered than it had ever been, because
was in unison end had become thorough
y efficient by long service and practical t
experience. s
The changes In the personnel of the Il
ivil service was not unexpected by the c
'eople at large when the change of admin .
stration took place. Republicans expected r
as well as Democrats, and in order to u
acilitate the matter thousands of Republi q
ans at once handed In their designations q
md If the service had not suffered by the "
hanges nobody would have complained if n
clean sweep had been made at once But p
ne government service is a business mat e
'r, and the people have right to expect, o
ye, demand, that it shall be conducted on Il
usiness principles, inasmuch as they pay W
'r 1t, and not solely for party purposes b
nd personal benefit; and We repeat, It Is N
OF simply because of the official changes X
lat have taken place under the present
ign that Republicans find fault, A
1T because of the inconvenience III
I'd losses they, in common with all the p;
eople are made to suffer by reason of the w
eterioration in the public service that ha.
srhaps unavoidably resulted from the p,
dical methods employed in bringing W
'out the changes. os
1t is not worth while to discuss the Ifs IN
i'd why's" of the Democratic methods In -,
csc matters and their failure to profit by ev
e experience Of the Republican party W,
I'd the country therein. The head of the rst
ministration was compelled to forego its I'm
nounced purposes and intentions in re- or,
I'd to the civil service. whether willingly fir,
not by the pressure from the great 70
ovid of hungry fellows who had been of
alting and hoping so long, and who were
ELL aware that it was then or never: that
ur years in all probability would be the re
tent of the reign of their party and if as
ey failed to realize their aspirations "a
thin that time their hopes in that direction lrt
ould never eliminate In such happy an
lition pc
Ii is said that experience, though often De
e dearest is ALWAYS the most fnrceful lie